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  1. #1 Illegal Modifications 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob Lain's Avatar
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    I am curious and am fairly sure I know the answer to this question, but after reading up on some of the laws published it states...

    Article 16 No units or individuals shall do the following:

      (1) assembling motor vehicles or altering the registered composition, structure or features of motor vehicles without authorization;

      (2) changing the models of motor vehicles, their engine number, chassis number or the identification code of the vehicles;

    So, am I led to believe that once a bike has been licensed I must rebuild the same motor should it fail in order to retain the engine number? Or does an authorized service shop have the ability to replace the motor with say..one that is better of the same cc? Of course the owner says its not a problem, but....

    I ask because I have found a decent used bike, but the motor is shot (cracked case). I don't mind dropping in a new one but not if its going to cause ANY issues with registration or future inspections.
    我曾参观过的所有地方,地球仍然拥有最好的爆米花。
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  2. #2 Re: Illegal Modifications 
    C-Moto Senior
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    Do you mean this ?
    1.1.2.13 No unit or individual is allowed to illegally assemble a motorized vehicle.
    or this
    1.1.2.14 No professional repair enterprise may change the model number, engine number and the chassis number of a motorized vehicle.

    A good one to understand is this.
    1.1.2.21 If a person who has a foreign driving license for motorized vehicle and has passed the tests administered by the traffic control department of the public security organ, a Chinese driving license for motorized vehicle may be issued to him.


    Gra.
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  3. #3 Re: Illegal Modifications 
    foreign China moto dude bikerdoc's Avatar
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    you need to get authorisation from the applicable traffic PSB first. Even if you want to change the colour of a vehicle it has to be approved. Some legit motor vehicle dealers/shops have the necessary guanxi and can arrange this for you, but the onus is on you. Sometimes the manufacturer can also assist with this.
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  4. #4 Re: Illegal Modifications 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob Lain's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bikerdoc View Post
    you need to get authorization from the applicable traffic PSB first. Even if you want to change the colour of a vehicle it has to be approved. Some legit motor vehicle dealers/shops have the necessary guanxi and can arrange this for you, but the onus is on you. Sometimes the manufacturer can also assist with this.
    Thanks,...WOW thats some harsh rules. I don't think I have ANYTHING that has not been customized, painted or altered in some shape or fashion...especially anything with a motor in it. There is a nice repair shop down the road, they often do repairs on police bikes and they have several nice rides there, guess I need to see if they can pull off some of these things.

    Darn, even painting a bike needs paperwork...grrr
    我曾参观过的所有地方,地球仍然拥有最好的爆米花。
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  5. #5 Re: Illegal Modifications 
    Senior C-Moto Guru euphonius's Avatar
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    Great topic. Under national law, our motorcycles must be inspected every other year for the first five or six years, then annually after that. When you first register your bike, a picture is taken and it goes into your little motorcycle passport. This picture can, and sometimes is, used to identify unauthorized modifications to your bike. Most of us have made many changes -- better mufflers, taller windscreens, all manner of aftermarket parts and farkle. In Beijing, many riders advise that you strip all the farkle and bust your bike back to original condition whenever you go in for inspection. This has been the case in Shanghai from time to time, but not in recent years.

    You'll see frequent reference in MCM threads to the concerns of owners that swapping engines or making other major changes can/will create obstacles at inspection time. This is based on actual fact, the experience of MCM members who dutifully report these things to all of us, so we can proceed more wisely.

    It's a toxic rule, but there you go.

    Cheers
    jkp
    Shanghai
    2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
    2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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  6. #6 Re: Illegal Modifications 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob Lain's Avatar
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    Well, I guess the key here is to get the bike exactly the way you want it from the get go. As for a paint job, maybe buy a new fairing kit to paint and keep the old ones?

    Wonder how it applies in the event of an accident? Could something as simple as the bike not being the same color be grounds to work against you with the PSB..
    我曾参观过的所有地方,地球仍然拥有最好的爆米花。
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  7. #7 Re: Illegal Modifications 
    Danger, Will Robinson! Lao Jia Hou's Avatar
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    Agreed - great topic.

    Things are tight in Beijing, at least at the large inspection station by the East 5th ring road (and G1) where most motorcycle registration and inspections are done.

    One of my bikes is a single-seater and its registration shows only 1 person. I asked the counter police about how I get the registration changed if I mount the pillion seat and pegs (optional accessories from the dealer). Was told that it is impossible - the bike is a one-seat motorcycle. I then asked the dealer, who confirmed that the registration cannot be changed. The dealer said that if I had purchased the optional pillion seat/pegs with the new bike, prior to initial registration, the bike would have been registered as a 2 passenger bike.

    The counter police said that it is possible to change the color. I am not sure if you need prior approval, or if it is ok to just show up at the inspection yard with the bike in its new color.

    As for the pictures, that has become quite strict in Beijing. So strict that when a picture is taken during an inspection/transfer, it must perfectly match the original. The matching is done online, by some unknown mystery-person in another building, who will not authorize the final "pass" / "transfer" (online) unless he/she believes it is identical. Amazingly, at the inspection station entrance, there is an assembly of loaner tools to put your bike back to its original condition (remove windscreen, bags, hand guards, etc). At the exit, there is another group of loaner tools to put your parts back on (remount windscreen, bags, hand guards, etc). It is almost comical to watch. TIC.

    I use an agent for almost all of my legal plating, transfers, etc. The guy only does motorcycles, five days a week, fifty weeks a year. He tells me that he is frequently frustrated by a non-matching picture. When he did my JH's inspection last year, we had to remove the pannier's mounting frame (aftermarket) and hand guards. Fortunately, the aftermarket exhaust was on the side of the bike that is not in the registration picture.

    I think most of the illegal modifications are ignored by the police, until that time when you need your bike to be legal (e.g., after an accident).

    I'm guessing that an original dealer might be able to work something out with a necessary engine swap.
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  8. #8 Re: Illegal Modifications 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob Lain's Avatar
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    I guess if ya keep it limited to mostly bolt on mods, its not to much of an issue. I see pimped scooters here all the time. However I never thought about changing the color as a big deal and was hoping to get a plain vanilla bike without stickers so I could do a custom paint job. I will report my findings after I talk to the local service shop where I know the laoban has some connections and I am sure will offer some sound advice on how to get it done legally. Its the biggest shop in town, and he fixes police bikes so I am sure he has the skinny.
    我曾参观过的所有地方,地球仍然拥有最好的爆米花。
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  9. #9 Re: Illegal Modifications 
    Life Is Good! ChinaV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lain View Post
    I am sure he has the skinny.
    Or at least an opinion. :loll:

    It's pretty simple, all modifications to a vehicle are illegal. I've registered and renewed registrations many times with plenty of guanxi at the registry and inspection station. I've spent way too many hours putting bikes back to stock. Everything from stickers, hand guards, reflectors, emissions parts, etc. etc. must be exactly as presented by the factory. I have even brought brand new factory modded bikes to the registry and been turned away because some minor detail does not match the specs in the registry database. Engine replacements are fine as long as it's the same model engine and the factory stamps the same engine number.

    Throw a set of saddlebags on a motorcycle and have an accident, I don't think you're going to have a problem. Put a liquid cooled 250 engine with a loud exhaust pipe on a farmer joe 125cc bike and have an accident, you might have some problems.

    Cheers!
    ChinaV
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  10. #10 Re: Illegal Modifications 
    foreign China moto dude bikerdoc's Avatar
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    Lain, you will not get 100% correct factual objective information from the Laoban... as ChinaV suggests, you will get a subjective one that might work at best, or worse provide incorrect information as 100% kosha only to be lead up the garden path with the potential drastic and undesirable consequences. The Laoban may think that it will not be a big deal and perhaps mistakenly believe that as a foreigner the rules will be bent and not really apply to you - an often misguided and dangerous common false belief all too prevalent in China.
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